1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns non-woven fiber materials, in particular elasticized non-woven fiber materials and a method of making such materials.
2. Description of Related Art
The manufacture of elasticized non-woven fiber materials by the technique of combining conventional textile fibers with elasticizeable fibers and heat-treating the fabric to elasticize the elasticizeable fibers is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,420 (Likhyani). This patent discloses the preparation of non-woven batts comprising a so-called "hard fiber" and "potentially elastic" fiber. The hard fibers are described as comprising any synthetic or natural fiber forming material such as polyesters, polyamides, etc., or natural fibers such as cotton, silk, paper, etc. The potentially elastic fibers are stated to be elastomeric compositions of the type which are elasticized by heat-treatment. The Likhyani patent discloses a method for making a so-called "spunlaced" non-woven fabric wherein a batt composed of at least two types of staple fibers is subjected to hydraulic entanglement by fine, high pressure columnar streams of water which entangle the fibers to provide the spunlaced material. After the entanglement, the resultant fabric is heat-treated to develop elastic characteristics in the elastomeric fibers. The elastomeric filaments are extruded, cold-drawn and cut to desired fiber length as described in the sole example of the patent.